The Paradise Movie Review Rating:
Star Cast: Nani, Raghav Juyal, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni, Mohan Babu
Director: Srikanth Odela
What’s Good: Nani’s Performance
What’s Bad: Script, Sound mixing and poor editing
Loo Break: Anytime since the interval
Watch or Not?: Skip if you value your time
Language: Telugu
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 174 Minutes
User Rating:
Nani’s The Paradise was billed as a commercial mass action film. Moviegoers and fans placed high hopes on lead star Nani and director Srikanth Odela after seeing the promotional material, which resulted in massive advance ticket sales. Ahead of its global release on Thursday, September 24, the producers arranged limited Wednesday evening preview screenings. Naturally, the movie arrives carrying heavy expectations, leaving everyone to wonder if it actually delivers.
Promotional trailers highlighted intense bloodshed and brutal killings, paired with an addictive background score crafted by Anirudh Ravichander. This project showcases Nani in a fresh light, moving away from his usual heartwarming characters in movies such as Ante Sundaraniki and Hi Nanna. Stepping into an angry young man persona, he enters the realm of intense action flicks like Salaar, KGF, and Animal, where graphic violence takes center stage.
The Paradise Movie Review: Script Analysis
The Paradise follows a straightforward plot set in the 1970s and 1980s, exploring the classic conflict between the Haves and the Have-Nots. Nani portrays a powerful champion for the underprivileged, possessing immense superhuman strength. He steps forward to protect his community from the oppressive and powerful town ruler, Maalik, portrayed by Mohan Babu. Maalik’s son is played by Raghav Juyal. Juyal and Nani share a rivalry that began in childhood and extends into their adult years, with Raghav Juyal’s character being visually defined by his chunky gold necklaces.
At its center lies a mother-son dynamic intended to evoke deep emotion, though it struggles to resonate. Additional characters are introduced along the way, such as Kayadu Lohar’s role, whose purpose in the overall narrative remains unclear; removing her segments entirely would have little impact on the story.
The film is structured into seven chapters, each introduced by a striking title like The Womb of Scar early on, and Womb Of War near the conclusion. However, this chapter-based format feels largely unnecessary. Setting aside any expectations of logic, the script and screenplay completely unravel during the second half and lose track of the main plot.
The Paradise Movie Review: Star Performance
Nani shines in his ferocious avatar, highlighted by a stellar opening sequence featuring gravity-defying stunts inside a jail cell. His presence anchors the first half, injecting vital energy and sustaining the movie. Unfortunately, as the script falls apart in the second half, even Nani’s strong performance cannot save the material from becoming repetitive.
Kayadu Lohar portrays the female lead with very limited screen time. Her character faces financial struggles and relies on her mother to produce and sell suggestive videos of herself for income. Ultimately, Kayadu is reduced to mere eye candy, failing to contribute meaningfully to the core storyline.
Raghav Juyal was advertised as a formidable antagonist, yet he comes across as neither intimidating nor truly villainous, often feeling dangerously close to the comical theatrics he is typically known for.
Mohan Babu appears as a cameo villain who steps onto the screen, delivers a few punchy lines, and exits. It appears the filmmakers were uncertain about how to establish a truly menacing antagonist. Aside from Nani’s efforts in the first half, the remaining performances offer little to write home about.
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The Paradise Movie Review: Direction, Music
The Paradise is director Srikanth Odela’s sophomore feature following his debut Dasara, which also featured Nani. The first half of this new film works reasonably well by establishing the world and emphasizing Nani’s strength and authority. The second half was intended to pivot toward the mother-son dynamic and address real community struggles.
Instead, the narrative shifts toward forced dramatic elevations featuring excessive and gruesome murders. Limbs and heads are hacked off in a random fashion resembling a butcher shop, leaving viewers completely desensitized to whatever emotional resonance the story attempts to build. The dramatic beats are excessively loud and aggressive yet fail to establish a genuine connection.
Numerous moments in the latter half prompt bewildered reactions. Subpar editing and low-grade visual effects turn scenes meant to be grand into unintentional comedy. Even setting logic aside, major questions arise—such as the total absence of law enforcement during rampant mass murders, or the confusing timeline reflected in the costumes. The impoverished villagers wear attire reminiscent of Baahubali, to the point where one might half-expect Amarendra Baahubali to arrive and save the situation.
On the musical front, Anirudh Ravichander delivers fresh beats that match Nani’s persona well, including a well-choreographed sequence where Nani dances to the main background theme. However, the sound mixing is severely flawed, turning the audio into a jarring, noisy experience where moments of silence become a welcome relief.
The Paradise Movie Review: The Last Word
Ultimately, this Telugu release proves to be a major letdown. Even without pre-release hype, it fails to function as a solid commercial entertainer. Despite having all the necessary ingredients, the narrative loses its direction and relies on superfluous elements that unnecessarily bloat the runtime.
At 2 hours and 54 minutes, The Paradise would have benefited immensely from a tighter, smarter edit. Instead, it severely tests the audience’s patience.
1.5 stars!
The Paradise Trailer
The Paradise releases on 24th September, 2026.
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